Hitch device



P 1961 w. H. SILVER ETAL 2,998,989

HITCH DEVICE Original Filed Aug. 28. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l4 l0 l3 9|86 93 5 l5 0 I2 IN VEN TORS 3| WALTER H. SILVER 2 OREY W. OERMAN aATTORNEY P 5, 1961 w. H. SILVER ETAL 2,998,989

HITCH DEVICE Original Filed Aug. 28, 1955 2 heets-sheet 2 IFIG.8

INVENTORS. WALTER H; SILVER OREY W. OERMAN %szv Patented Sept. 5, 1961.

2,998,989 HITCH DEVICE Walter H. Silver and Grey W. Oerman, Moline,Ill., as-

signors, by mesne assignments, to Deere & Company, a corporation ofDelaware Application Oct. 15, 1956, Ser. No. 815,992, now Patent No.2,914,342, dated Nov. 24, 1959, which is a division of application Ser.No. 377,134, Aug. 28, 1953, now Patent No. 2,795,178, dated June 1-1,1957. Divided and this application Oct. 28, 1958, Ser. No. 770,175

1 Claim. (Cl. 287-62) This application is a division of our copendingapplication, Ser. No. 615,992, filed October 15, 1956-, now U.S. Patent2,914,342, issued November 24, 1959, that is a division of application,Ser. No. 377,134, filed August 28, 1953 for Hitch Device, now U.S.Patent 2,795,178, issued June 11, 1957.

The present invention relates generally to hitch devices and is moreparticularly concerned with hitch devices of the type wherein links,pivotally connected with the tractor power lift mechanism, are adaptedto be directly cnnected to an associated implement for positioning andcontrolling the same in operation and for raising the same out ofengagement with the ground when it is desired to transport the implementfrom place to place.

The object and general nature of the present invention is the provisionof a hitch device that comprises two lower links and an upper linkmeans, each being connected at its rear end with the implement forgenerally universal movement relative thereto and at its forward endwith the propelling tractor also for generally universal movement; thatis, movement which accommodates both lateral and vertical swinging ofthe implement relative to the tractor.

More specifically, it is an important feature of the present inventionto provide upper link means, which may be in the form of a pair oflinks, having new and improved means for adjusting the effective lengthof said link means, which adjusting means includes a part serving, atone time, as a handle for effecting the desired adjustment and, atanother time, as means for locking the adjustable parts againstdisplacement from the position selected.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of thefollowing detailed description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a hitch device in which the principles of thepresent invention have been incorporated.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the hitch device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the means for holdingthe upper links in inactive position when the implement is detached fromthe tractor.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along the line 44of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the locking member shown in FIGS. 2 and4.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing theadjustable upper link in locked position.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 showing the locking mechanismunlatched and in a position to facilitate making the desired adjustment.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the rear or upper attaching pin.

The hitch device of the present invention is indicated in FIG. 1 in itsentirety by the reference numeral 10 and is shown as connecting animplement 11 with a propelling tractor 12. The latter is of the typethat is provided with a power lift mechanism 13, which mechanismincludes a transverse rockshaft 14 to which a pair of lift arms 15 i areconnected. The power lift unit 13 usually includes control valve meansand other mechanism, indicated generally at 16, enclosed within a case17 generally located at the rear of the tractor centrally thereof. Thetractor 12 also includes a lower drawbar support structure 18 to eachside of which a bracket 19 is connected by any suitable means. A stud2-1 is fixed to each of the brackets 19 and receives the ball portion ofa ball and socket type connector 22, there being one of such connectorsat each side of the tractor. The implement ll may be any one of a numberof different kinds, but for purposes of illustration the implement isshown as a disk plow having a beam structure 25 to which disk-supportingstandards 26 are fixed. The implement includes a rigid crossbar 27 and avertically extending mast structure 28, the upper portion of which isreenforced by a downwardly and rearwardly extending brace 29, the rearend of which (not shown) is connected with the rear portion of the beam25. Secured to each end of the implement front crossbar 27 is a pair ofbracket plates 31, the forward and lower portions of which are aperturedto receive a quick-detachable pin 32, on which pin the ball portion of aball and socket type connector is mounted. Since this connector may besubtially identical with the ball and socket type connector mentionedabove it is indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 by the same reference numeral.

Each of the two lower links is indicated in its entirety by thereference numeral 35. Each of the lower links 35 is made up of an outersleeve section 36, square in cross section as indicated in FIG. 4. Theforward end of the outer sleeve section 36 carries a forwardly extendingattachment part 38 apertured to receive and retain the ball portion ofthe associated connector 22. Each link member 35 also includes an innertelescopically associated sleeve 41, square in cross section andslidably disposed within the section 36. At its rear end the sleevesection 41 receives a rear attachment part 42 which also is apertured toreceive and retain the ball portion of the associated connector. A stopcollar 43 is fixed, as by welding, to the rear attachment part 42 andserves as means limiting the rearward movement of the link section 36relative to the inner section 41.

As best shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, the inner and outer telescopicallyassociated sections 36 and 41 are provided with apertures 44 and 45(FIG. 4) which are adapted to be disposed in registry when the linksections 36 and 41 are disposed in their shortest or retractedpositions. A look pin '48 is disposable in the openings when in registryfor preventingextension of the link sections. The lock pin 48 isprovided with a head 49 with a locking extension 51, and for retainingthe lock 48 in its locking position, the link section 36 carries aretaining yoke 53 having a keyhole slot 54 dimensioned to permit thepassage of the locking pin head 49 into a locking position, as shown inFIG. 4. A slight turn of the pin48, when in the position shown in FIG.4, so disposes the extension 51 that it cooperates with the yoke 53 toretain the locking pin 48 in its link-holding position. Each of theouter telescopically associated-sleeve sections 36 is provided with anapertured lug 56 pivotally receiving the lower end of the associatedlifting link member 57, the upper portion of which is connected with theassociated lifting arm 15 of the tractor power lift structure. Thelifting link member 57 is of conventional construction, so far astheprinciples of the present invention are concerned, the upper portionof each of the links 57, or at least one of them, being provided withcrank screw adjusting means 58 (FIG. 1).

The upper link construction comprises a pair of link members 61, eachpivotally connected at its forwardend through a swivel connection 62,with a bracket 63 that is adapted to be fixed t9 1. attachin g'pad 4 ppa tractor rear axle structure 65. The swivel connection 62 includes aquick-attachable pin 66. Each link member 61 includes a rod 68screw-threaded at each end, and adjustably connected with an attachingyoke 69 that forms a part of the swivel connector 62.. At its rear endof each of the rod member 68 has a screw-threaded connection with a yokemember 71, the arms of which pivotally receive a swivel member 72, suchpivotal connection being effected by a pivot pin 73, best shown in FIGS.6 and 7. By turning the rod member 68 in one direction or the other, theeffective length of the link 61 is varied, as desired, by a turnbuckleaction.

For effecting and retaining the desired adjustment the locking mechanismshown best in FIGS. 6 and 7 and forming a part of the present inventionis provided on each of the upper link members 61. Such locking memberincludes a detent member 76 pivoted, as at 77, to a pair of aperturedlugs 78 welded to the rod section 68 adjacent the associated yoke 71.The latter member carries a pair of lugs 81 and 82 between which theouter end of the detent 76 is adapted to be disposed, and when sodisposed, as shown in FIG. 6, the detent 76 prevents the rod section 68from rotating in either direction relative to the associated yokes 69and 71. The lug 82 is pro vided with an overhanging section 86 (FIGS. 6and 7), the purpose of which is to prevent accidental displacement ofthe locking detent 76, the overhanging portion 83 being so dimensionedthat the passage of the detent 76 into locking position (FIG. 6) isaccommodated. Preferably, the overhanging section 83 is arrangedrelative to the adjacent screw-threaded portion of the rod member 68 sothat in normal operation, the tendency, if any, for the rod 68 to rotateout of position is in the direction that holds the detent 76 underneaththe overhanging portion 83. In this way, accidental displacement of thelooking member 76 is prevented.

The two swivel members 72, to which the coupler yokes 71 are swingablyconnected, are mounted at the ends of a transverse evener bar 86 that isconnected at its midpoint with the upper portion of the mast section 28of V best shown in FIG. 3, the central portion of the evener bar 86 isapertured, as at 95, to receive the pin 93.

To hold the upper links 61 and associated parts in an inoperativeposition, as when the tractor is operated without an attached implement,a spring hook member 96 is connected to each side of the seat support 97and is engageable in an aperture 98 formed in the associated lockingdetent 76 (FIG. 6).

The operation of the hitch device of the present invention issubstantially as follows.

The implement 11 may be readily attached to the tractor 12 by backingthe latter into approximately the necessary position to receive theimplement. The upper forward portion of the attachment casting 98 isprovided with an extension 99 that serves as a shelf to receive theevener bar 86 when the tractor approaches its implementreceivingposition. With the tractor adjacent the implement, the pins 48 may betaken out of either or both of the lower links 35 and the rear or innersections 41 thereof, or either of them, extended rearwardly to the pointwhere the pins 32 may be passed through the rear con nectors 22 tosecure the rear ends of the links 35 to the implement. Then by backingthe tractor the telescopically constructed links 35 are shifted intotheir retracted position, as determined by the stops 43, after which the(ill 4 pins 48 may readily be inserted and locked in position, thusconditioning the lower links 35 to transmit draft forces in tension.Next, the tractor power lift may be operated to raise or lower the link35, and thus shift the upper end of the mast section 28 generallyfore-and-aft so that the pin 93' may be readily dropped into positionconnecting the intermediate portion of the evener bar 86 to the upperend of the mast section 28. During this action the evener bar 86 shiftsalong the upper face of the extension 99, and also when the tractorapproaches its implemenhreceiving position.

By having the upper link structure in the form of two forwardlydivergently associated link members, the forward ends of the latter mayreadily be connected to the rear of the tractor at points laterally ofthe power lift structure 16, whereby the upper link structure does notinterfere with the operating parts of the tractor. At the same time,arranging the links 61 in a rearwardly divergent relation and connectingthrough an evener bar, such as 86, to the upper end of the implementmast structure, the geometry of the upper link structure is such thatany tendency for the upper end of the mast section of the implement toshift laterally to an objectionable degree is materially restrained.

The provision of a hitch device that includes upper and lower links,with means attachable to the tractor drawbar support for receiving theforward ends of the lower links and means attachable to brackets at eachside of the upper portion of the tractor, which brackets are especiallyadapted to be connected to the conventional or standard attaching padson the tractor, produces a construction which is adaptable to a largenumber of tractors already in service with substantially no, or at leasta minimum, requirement for modification. Additionally, lateral swingingof the lower links may be controlled or restrained by sway chains 101that are con nectible between lugs 102 on the link members 36 and theconventional tractor drawbar 103 that is carried by the drawbar support18. In this case, the tractor drawbar 103 is connected by any suitablemeans (not shown) with the tractor drawbar support 18 so as to beprevented from lateral swinging relative to the tractor.

While we have shown and described above the preferred structure in whichthe principles of the present invention have been incorporated, it is tobe understood that our invention is not to be limited to the particularmeans shown and described above, but that, in fact, widely differentmeans may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects of ourinvention.

What we claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a hitch device, an adjustable link construction comprising a pair ofscrew threadedly associated relatively rotatable parts, said parts beingsubjected to forces tending normally to rotate one of said parts in agiven direction relative to the other, a rigid detent member pivoted onone of said parts, a pair of lugs disposed adjacent one another on theother of said parts and extending radially outwardly therefrom ingenerally parallel planes that lie at opposite sides and generallyparallel to the plane of swinging movement of said detent member,whereby said lugs are adapted to receive the outer end of said detentmember therebetween whereby one or the other of said lugs serve toprevent said one part carrying the detent from rotating relative to theother part, one of said lugs being longer than the other and having atits outer end an overhanging portion eXlcmL ing toward the shorter lugfor releasably holding said detent member between said lugs, said onelug having the overhanging portion being located relative to the otherlugs so as to receive said rigid detent member under said overhangingportion when said one part tends .under said forces to rotate in saidone direction.

(References on following page) .lmllnunr.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS SparksJan. 23, 1883 Merriss et a1. June 12, 1888 Grantland Apr. 12, 1892 5Flood Oct. 30, 1917 6 v Peters Apr. 24, 1928 Becker Dec. 31, 1946Couture Nov. 13, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Sweden Sept. 13, 1949

